Three rein
Old-school Thibs looking to pump up volume from beyond the arc
Tom Thibodeau’s initials of “TT’’ has never stood for “Triple Threat.’’
But the reigning NBA Coach of The Year is on a 3-point mission in 2021-22 with clear instructions to create more 3-point opportunities fr his players this season.
The Knicks’ single-game record of 20 3-point baskets still stands, but only because Saturday’s game at Washington’s CapitalOne Arena was a preseason match. The Knicks let it fly, nailing 24 of 52 3-point attempts.
Twenty-four 3-pointers is terrific. Fifty-four flings was equally heartening. It means the players are listening to Thibodeau’s demands.
The Knicks averaged 30 3-point attempts in 2020-21, ranking 27th lowest. According to a source, Thibodeau is looking to boost the number to around 40 attempts.
“I’m not going to give you the set number Thibs told us to get but that’s pretty good,” Derrick Rose said of the 52 deep launches. “It’s above the set number he told us. They’re all good looks. Where Kemba [Walker] is walking into 3s. He’s great off the dribble. RJ [Barrett] is the same. I’m more of a catch-andshoot. But everyone’s making the game easier for the next person. When you have an offensive team like we have, it should make the game easier.’’
Thibodeau’s long-standing policy — one that had invigorated his critics — is wanting his teams to take only good 3-pointers with no care about volume.
Now the old-school Thibodeau cares about volume. He wants to carve an offense that automatically gets a lot of open looks from the most profitable analytics spot of the court in the new NBA.
Knicks president Leon Rose hired a series of new analytics personnel when he took over. If this isn’t Thibodeau’s commands, he’s at least carrying out orders from the analytics gurus.
After resurrecting the Knicks’ defense to historic heights in 2020-21, Thibodeau is going all Mike D’Antoni on us.
The Knicks’ 3-point percentage during their 41-31 renaissance was a surprisingly solid 39.4 percent, ranking third. But their 3-point frequency (percentage of shots that are 3-poiners) ranked 24th.
Their season-high for 3-point attempts was 45.
“We’re very efficient at shooting them,” Thibodeau said. “So our shot profile is right. Making the right reads is the most important thing off the dribble. Attack the rim, and make the proper rim read
by hitting the open man. If guys make the extra pass, we’ll have good rhythm 3s. We also want to push the ball more and we’ll continue to work on [that].’’
Indeed, the Knicks were last in pace last season. Their offensive troubles against Atlanta in the first-round massacre ignited this 3-point movement.
In the preseason opener versus Indiana, the Knicks took a stout 37 3-point attempts but made just 29.7 percent.
Derrick Rose said the Knicks took advantage of the Wizards’ scheme of preventing penetration.
“They were double-teaming — having their big come up so we couldn’t get in the paint,’’ Rose said. “We work on it every day, moving the ball. We’re just a different team. No knock on the guys who played here last year, but Kemba, Evan [Fournier], the game should be easier when you’re forcing the double-team. In the second half, we made sure we got off the ball quick. Some of the 3s we did miss, they were close.’’
When the Knicks decided on choosing swingman Alec Burks over Reggie Bullock, a solid 3-point shooter, one of the reasons was Burks’ versatility.
Burks can create a 3-pointer off the dribble while Bullock is a catch-and-shoot 3-point man. Fournier, too, was attractive to Knicks brass because he’s more than a catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter and can craft his own shot.
In Washington, nine Knicks drained at least two 3-pointers — right down to rookie firstround pick, shooting guard, Quentin Grimes, who entered with 1:48 left and drilled two 3s.
Rose was 3 for 3 — his development from his first stint stunning. In 2016-17, former coach Jeff Hornacek begged Rose to launch more 3s and he declined.
In the rotation because Julius Randle was back home in New York with his wife as they expect their second child, Kevin Knox set the tone by drilling 4 of 5 3-pointers in the first half. Barrett was 4-for-8 and Immanuel Quickley was 3 of 5.
The Knicks will face the Pistons on Wednesday at the Garden in their third preseason game, and bring an umbrella — it may rain 3s.
The Knicks are becoming a more opportunistic 3-point shooting team despite having a collection of the four worst-outside-shooting centers in the NBA in Nerlens Noel, Mitchell Robinson, Taj Gibson and Jericho Sims.
That is why Thibodeau has talked about employing more small-ball this season, using Randle at center.
“Last year we improved on the defensive end and we improved our shooting overall with a high percentage,” Thibodeau said. “This year it’s a continuation of that.”